Just wanted to give some info on hammer toe surgery in case anyone was thinking about going through with it. I had suffered from pressure and resulting corns on my 4th and 5th toes of both feet for about 5 years. I tried everything before taking this final step. My podiatrist said that it was definitely a "structural" problem, and on X ray I could actually see the bony knots where I had extra bone. This surgery is actually very common and a common complaint of many people. Before surgery I really didn't have to do much except wash with an antibacterial soap given to me by the surgery center. I was put under conscious sedation ( meaning I was able to breathe on my own) and a nerve block injection, in which I don't remember anything and didn't feel any pain. After surgery I was able to walk immediately, and had to wear "surgical walking boots", which didn't bother me too much (just a little ugly). I only needed 800 mg Ibuprofen and some aspirin/codeine pills for a couple of days. I tried to stay off my feet and keep them elevated as much as possible. I was surprised at how little pain I felt. Two weeks later I had my stitches removed. The doc said my swelling wasn't bad and the skin was healing properly. I was also able to stop wearing the surgical boots at that time, although I just wore Crocs and Addidas flip flops. By 5 weeks post op, my incisions were healed, although swelling was still apparent (which is normal months after surgery.) There was no constant pain, just occasional pain if I bumped my toe on a chair or something. I am now 9 weeks postop and things are still healing and a little swollen- in which I wrap my toes at night with compression wrap- found at CVS and significantly decreases the swelling. I started jogging again at this time, and things are fine. I can wear most shoes now, but am staying away from high heels. I make sure to keep my feet out of sunlight because that will darken the scars (hyperpigmentation) - my scarring has been minimal due to moisturizers, Mederma, and Shea butter cream. The corns are fading and I feel like this procedure was worth it. Hope this helps anyone wondering about the procedure.